Chance Vought V-156F, AB/3, 17/05/1940, NL

[B.F.M. Droog]

Who knows more about this plane and its crew?

Type: Chance Vought V-156F (SB2U-1 Vindicator) (dive bomber)
Serial number: X88-484?
Unit: AB/3 [A...(?) de Bombardement]
Operation: ?
Lost: 17/05/1940 Crew: ?
Crashed or force landed near or in Vlissingen (Flushing), Netherlands
Based in Alprech.

On the same day nine Curtis Hawks 75A's from GC I/4 were active in this area. Three were lost. I don't know if their operation was connected to the operation of the dive bomber.

Regards,

Bart

[Leendert]

Bart,

This site gives a slightly different serial:http://www.hoebeke.com/nl/detail-NV.php3?recordID=367

Send me a PM and I can direct you to a person knowledgeable about the airwar over Zeeland.

Regards,

Leendert

[robert]

Hi,

three Curtiss fighters were lost in combat with Bf109s from the I/JG20 (16-17.00).
On this day one V-156-F was lost but from the AB1 (serial 4, white 2) pilot Mat.Claude lost bearings and overturned by force-landing in early night (23.00-24.00).

Regards

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Leendert, PM has been sent.
Robert - the times you give, are they BST or Dutch time?
Do you happen to know where the AB/1-plane force landed?

For 17/05/1940 I've found these operations in the Zeeland area regarding the AB units:

Vlissingen; AB/3 (?) one Chance Vought V crashed
AB/1 bombs targets on Walcheren
AB/2 bombs targets on Walcheren
AB/1 bombs artillery targets on Walcheren
AB/2 bombs artillery targets on Walcheren

I'm not sure if the bombs targets/bombs artillery targets were two seperate operations or were in fact one operation. Vlisingen (Flushing) is located on Walcheren island - so maybe the AB/3 plane was on loan?

Regards,

Bart

[robert]

Hi,

I think this French time - the formation took off for action somewhere around 22.00 hours. This plane crashed in the area of Isigny.

Regards

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Robert,

Any clue for the mission of this formation?

Regards,

Bart

[Alex Smart]

Hi,
Have a look on the LEMB site there is a thread their about these a/c with photos of some after capture.
Alex

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Alex,

Have you an URL for that site?

Regards,

Bart

[robert]

Hi,

it was night bombing of artillery positions in the area of Walcheren.
The first group took off at 22.30 hours (French time).
I think the AB3 was still out of action after loosing all its aircrafts on the 10th May.

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Thanks Robert,

Am trying to find more information on the Slagveld Sloedam site; which contains databases of all WW II war casualties in Zeeland province (all nationalities, including civilians, as well as aircraft crashes - but still no trace of possible casualties of this mysterious bomber.

Two seperate sources mention it's crash near Vlissingen and both state it was a AB/3 plane.

Regards,

Bart